PEC focuses on rural development

THE Morobe provincial executive council (PEC) has announced its five-year infrastructure plan in a bid to promote rural sector development.
Morobe deputy governor, Morokoi Gaiwara, made the announcement yesterday after the PEC had approved the funding for the proposed programmes.
Gaiwata said the rural population in the province had been neglected since the council presidents throughout the country were barred from provincial assemblies.
He said the Morobe government was bringing back the rural development strategy.
“A large vacuum was created in as far as development and services in the rural sectors was concerned and needed to be filled in,” he said.
He said the PEC had approved a budget, known as the rural ward oriented budget, which would focus mainly on the rural road infrastructure developments.
He outlined the plan which included the 17 km Hobu-Samazing-Indagen road – K1,662,117.16; Boana-Gawak – K1,554,948.20; Gawak-Sakaram road K1,111,844.00; Wau-Sim road maintenance – K2,533,880; and Sim to Bapi in Garaina – K1,273, 740.
Gaiwata said the PEC was also emphasising on implementing the capacity building programme in the rural areas.
“We will be looking at relocating the public servants from the headquarters to the rural setting to work closely with the ward councillors and the people,” Gaiwata said.
He said nearly all the schools, aidposts and roads were falling apart, “which is a sad case”.
Gaiwata also pointed out another of the PEC’s rural focus where K500,000 funding was given to oil palm projects in the Markham Valley communities.
He had also stressed that the provincial supply and tenders board must work closely with the PEC when it came to issuing contracts where candidates had to be properly screened before they were awarded contracts.
Gaiwata also said the PEC was not going to rely only on allocations but had also gone into partnership with a few business entities to help boost its financial strength.